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Texas Students Hijack a U.S. Government Drone in Midair
PopSci ^ | June 28, 2012 | Colin Lecher

Posted on 06/30/2012 3:44:32 AM PDT by 6SJ7

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To: mazda77; Lonesome in Massachussets
These are not autonomous platforms. There are operators that “fly” the platform and operators that control the sensors.

Spoofing GPS is not hard, but to do so and get past two humans in direct contact is almost impossible.

So, yes, the operators knew it was being spoofed.

Additionally, INS (internal guidance) is a back-up.

Can't “hack” the UAV/RPV command link. Would need NSA-grade crypto-crackers.

So, watching GPS jamming/spoofing is an interesting exercise in technology but was not a threat to the control of the platform. . .like I said, you have at least two humans in the loop that would detect the platform going off kilter and they would disengage the auto-pilot and make flight control inputs to fly the platform.

41 posted on 06/30/2012 7:10:46 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: Traveler59

When the internal INS detects a wide variation between the GPS and the INS, signals are sent to the ground station and humans make corrective inputs to the UAV/RPV flight profile.


42 posted on 06/30/2012 7:13:25 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: Eye of Unk

” You know I just had an image of a scene from Terminator Salvation...”

Yep, first thing that came to my mind also.

This “clone” technology should be made freely available on the internet.


43 posted on 06/30/2012 7:23:49 AM PDT by moovova (Arrogance is believing that God needs an assistant (us).)
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To: Hulka

There is a back door to everything operating on software, everything. Just ask the Iranians, or better yet, the White House. In the event you missed it, reread my post and the position I held from 74-76. It was much tougher to “crack” the code back then because the availability of the computers necessary to do so was extremely limited.

So I guess you can sleep comfortably thinking that just because it was a “controlled” exercise that someone with the access to technology way above UTA is not going to work on it because it was monitored by DHS. It is far different to expect an event than it is to it happening as a total surprise.


44 posted on 06/30/2012 7:26:37 AM PDT by mazda77 (and I am a Native Texan)
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To: papertyger; 6SJ7
This is the best news I’ve heard all week.

You might not think that if you knew that a significant percent of UT Austin students are foreigners. One time as I was walking across campus the Iranians had set up tents and were very angry and hollering at passerbys. It's a very liberal university and Austin, with it's city motto of "Keepin' Austin Weird" is THE headquarters for eco-wackos, hippies and RATS of Texas. One of it's professors lectures his students the world would be a better place if 90% were killed off with ebola. One more step left and they're Berkeley CA. The article doesn't name the students so it's very likely they aren't conservatives out for a fun afternoon of pranks. My money is on dry run.

45 posted on 06/30/2012 8:03:20 AM PDT by bgill
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To: bigbob

I agree with you Bob, but it would be good to see every drone without a seach warrant from a court of open and approprite jurisdiction, to be spoof flown into the ground or better still, right into the control nacel of whatever is sending it.


46 posted on 06/30/2012 8:14:43 AM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: mazda77

Iranians had nothing to do with that UAV incident. Nothing. At. All. You wish to believe a third world nation has the expertise to lock-up flight controls then have at it.

Better computers today doesn’t mean easier to crack code as the computers today are better when it comes to writing code and protecting software.

“In the event you missed it, reread my post and the position I held from 74-76.”

I suppose you can sleep comfortably feeling that you are well aware of up-to-date UAV/RPV technology because of what you did nearly 40-yrs ago. (By the way, you are not the only one with experience behind the “Black” door).

“It is far different to expect an event than it is to it happening as a total surprise.”

Executive lead agent for UAV/RPV development is USAF, not DHS. DHS does their own R&D, limited as it is, to modify for their own missions. They are not aware of DOD UAV/RPV state-of-the-art technology/protections.

Of course, based upon your two years of experience nearly 40-yrs ago, you are fully aware we “hack at” everything all the time, exploring for weaknesses and flaws, to find where things can/need to be improved. This is the smart thing to do because as you are also aware, “There are no bug-free programs, just undiscovered bugs.”

Cheers

;-)


47 posted on 06/30/2012 8:33:06 AM PDT by Hulka
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To: SueRae
Most disconcerting news.

No! The most disconcerting news would be if the graduate students on the team were from Iran, China and Pakistan.

48 posted on 06/30/2012 8:39:28 AM PDT by ladyjane
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To: bgill
You might not think that if you knew that a significant percent of UT Austin students are foreigners.

I am far more worried by the domestic use of drones than I am of foreigners ability to defeat them.

49 posted on 06/30/2012 8:49:14 AM PDT by papertyger ("And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if..."))
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To: Lady Lucky

Every sale they make, they want your personal information. Last time I bought a device there, they asked at the register, what I was going to be using it for, plus my name and address. You’d think I was buying cough medicine or something! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I know. That presents no problem. I pay cash and lie like a rug to protect my privacy. I am not a criminal and lie simply because its wrong to presume I am doing something wrong or illegal.Most of my advertising goes to the public librarian.


50 posted on 06/30/2012 9:49:35 AM PDT by Candor7 (Obama fascism article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: mazda77

Now it will take years of research, endless government grants and how many acts of Congress to find out how they did it before they can actually be allowed to fix it.


Then when they realize they are not the tech masters of the Universe, they will go to congress with some toltaltarian spying and control scheme to beat the ‘domestic terrorists.’

They need to back off the fascist thing.


51 posted on 06/30/2012 10:40:02 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: Eye of Unk; Hulka; Mechanicos; LibLieSlayer; mazda77

Color me skeptical. The DoD is highly concerned about the security and vulnerablity of GPS. I doubt a bunch of amateur-hour grad students know anything they do not. I dismiss any claims that the Iranians made of “hijacking” a drone. They may have recovered one that suffered a mechanical or electronic failure or which they brought down and later fixed up. I doubt that anyone in the DoD would allow a drone that was susceptible to reverse-engineering to fly anywhere near Iran.


52 posted on 06/30/2012 2:56:28 PM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (The Democratic Party strongly supports full civil rights for necro-Americans!)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
You are just too trusting. We are vulnerable because obama wants us to be vulnerable.

LLS

53 posted on 06/30/2012 5:26:39 PM PDT by LibLieSlayer (Don't Tread On Me)
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To: Lady Lucky
LMAO!!! Radio Shack? Every sale they make, they want your personal information. Last time I bought a device there, they asked at the register, what I was going to be using it for, plus my name and address. You'd think I was buying cough medicine or something!

It all goes into a database that lets them (or their "partners") spam the hell out of you with very targeted advertising. Definitely don't give out your email address or you'll start finding all kinds of targeted spam.
54 posted on 07/02/2012 12:14:06 PM PDT by af_vet_rr
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